Do this, rather than pick some meaningless animal or cartoon "mascot", and spend just a bit of time up front researching the (easily available) history of that unit, to then have your cadets learn and honor during the week. Tennessee Wing did this, with great results, and I think its the best fresh idea I've seen for encampments in 30 years. (Hat tip: my old F-22 test team mate, Dumpster). Make that bond REAL, with our real Air Force customer, and not with an anime or sports or cartoon character (which, to agree with PA Guy, would be silly).

So I'm the Cadet Commander for the NYWG Encampment. While I'm really impressed that the Flight Staff are taking the initiative to come up with flight name/motto/guidon designs, the C/DCC and Squadron Commanders haven't come up with their guidelines on how they want to structure the flight themes.

However, I do like Spam's ideas for honoring certain AF units. I'll have a discussion with my staff about this.

That's not the point. The point is to have a name, an identity, that the cadets can identify and build a camaraderie out of. Also, it's fun to have a certain mascot and chant or whatever. Aren't encampments supposed to have fun involved?

How can dressing up as a mascot be fun? As others have posted, it is silly. This is NOT Halloween, it is an ENCAMPMENT!

I'm not sure where you're getting "people are dressing up as mascots" from. No one is dressing up as anything. When we use the term "mascot," we're talking about an image or idea, not an actual person dressed up in some sort of costume.

For example, let's make up the "Bravo Bombers". The guidon has a drawing or picture of a B-52, and the motto can be something generic like "All In, All the Time".

It's simple. It's fun. It builds the flight's character. It's not going to unnecessary lengths like dressing someone up in a ridiculous costume.

At the Flight Sergeant level, this is well beyond your area of operational authority. This is something that will be determined by the Cadet Commander and top-tier staff, maybe Squadron Commanders. If you're going to be asked to come up with a flight "nickname" and mascot, talk with your Flight Commander about that. But this won't be something a Flight Sergeant can just do on his own; unless we're getting this wrong and this was tasked down to you already.

At the last Encampment I was at, I saw flight mascots that were animals: rattlesnakes, badgers, scorpions, etc. I don't remember all of them, nor did I pay much attention. It was an internal flight thing that was never brought up outside of the flight, even though each of the six flights had their own (they drew the mascot on a piece of paper and hung it up in their respective cadet lounges). So if the mascots aren't going to be discussed ever again outside of the flight, why even have one?

On that note, I'd prefer to see the flights come up with their own mascots, and not be dictated as to what their mascots are. It should be something that has value to the flight and suggests that flight's motivation and vision for Encampment.

That's not the point. The point is to have a name, an identity, that the cadets can identify and build a camaraderie out of. Also, it's fun to have a certain mascot and chant or whatever. Aren't encampments supposed to have fun involved?

I’ve seen plenty of cadets “...identify and build [a] camaraderie out of...” simply being “Delta Flight” with nothing more than a big “D” on their guidon.